According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, there were more than 2,900 perinatal deaths in Australia. In addition, each year many more parents experience the loss of a baby early in the pregnancy. Sadly, one in every four pregnancies ends in a loss from miscarriage and stillbirth. http://www.sandsvic.org.au

Professor (Dr) A.K. Susheela who is visiting Australia says long-term studies show fluoride is a serious threat to public health. It has not only has been linked to increased rates of stillbirth and miscarriages among Indian populations exposed to fluoride in water, but poses a serious risk of birth abnormalities including mental retardation.

Professor (Dr) A.K. Susheela of India, who has researched fluoride for more than 20 years, has listed a range of health issues linked to fluoride ingestion, she has more than 80 scientific publications in leading Western and Indian Journals.

“We now have ample scientific evidence to substantiate the fact that ingestion of fluoride prevents biosynthesis of hemoglobin leading to anemia in human beings. We have studied this problem in pregnant mothers. The danger of anemia in pregnancy is that it would lead to abnormalities in the development of the embryo/foetus,’’ says Dr Susheela.

“Studies also indicate it harms fetuses carried by pregnant women and may cause abortions and stillbirths.”

Dr Susheela says results of reducing fluoride in water include reduced abortions and stillbirths as fluoride is known to induce calcification of blood vessels of the fetus.

“It has been shown that when fluoride-contaminated water (>1.0 mg/L) and dental products are consumed or used by pregnant mothers, it destroys the thyroid gland of the embryo/foetus,’’ says Dr Susheela.

“When children with dental fluorosis were investigated, there were severe derangements in the thyroid hormone levels T3 (Triiodothyronine) and T4 (Tetraiodothyronine) along with Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH). Such children suffer from sub-clinical hypothyroidism, T3 toxicosis, low T3 syndrome, primary hypothyroidism and disturbed hormone conversion.

“The evidences we have provided on the harmful effects of fluoride on human health, unequivocally prove the point that fluoride is disease-causing and not disease preventing. Our scientific publications would not only stand the test of time but also before any judiciary in any part of the world, as it is based on biomedical research of highest standards,’’ says Dr Susheela.

“With a high degree of scientific accuracy and certainty, I conclude that artificial fluoridation of drinking water is an ineffective means of improving dental health, and is in fact quite dangerous to those forced to consume it.”

In regard to claims by Australian health authorities that water fluoridation strengthens teeth surfaces and prevents dental caries (cavities), Dr Susheela’s research indicates the opposite.

“The findings emerging from the studies on both tooth and bone have made significant contributions to negate the belief that fluoride is good for teeth. Instead, fluoride does more damage to teeth than any good and prolonged use of fluoride leads to a decrease in the organic matrix of rabbit tooth but dermatan sulphate content is increased,” says Dr Susheela.

Dr Susheela says India launched a Technology Mission on “Safe Drinking Water” in 1986 (now re-designated after the late Prime Minister Sh. Rajiv Gandhi, as Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission) in which every drinking water source in the rural sector is checked for water quality, especially for fluoride.

“People are keen to defluoridate the water due to gastrointestinal problems and are adopting indigenous technology for obtaining potable (defluoridated) water,’’ she said.

“Substantial scientific evidence has emerged in recent years from studies conducted on human subjects and hospital patients and those residing in areas/regions/villages where fluoride content ranges in drinking water from 0.5 ppm to 38.5 ppm,’’ said Dr Susheela.

She said the findings came after 20 years of follow-up studies that have now been concluded. The findings also included:

Gastro-intestinal complaints are the earliest manifestations of fluoride toxicity and fluorosis. The most common complaints include (1) headache; (2) nausea (loss of appetite); (3) pain in the stomach; (4) gas formation in the stomach (bloated feeling); (5) constipation; (6) intermittent fermentation diarrhea.

As a result of the above, gastro intestinal complaints in endemic areas are considered as early warning signs of the fluoride toxicity and are used as a diagnostic parameter under field based conditions. See report: Fluoride Ingestion and its Correlation with Gastrointestinal Discomfort.

Fluoride in circulation has an affinity to get deposited in tissues rich in calcium although some amount is excreted. In children, the fluoride ingested has adverse effects on kidney function. See Fluoride: Too Much Can Cripple You.

Significant findings emerged from studies on human patients with skeletal fluorosis. Degenerative changes were well defined at the ultrastructural level in the fluoresced muscle obtained from patients with skeletal fluorosis.

Fluoride inhibits antibody formation in rabbits and may occur in human subjects as well.

Fluoride inhibits protein and DNA synthesis in cultured lymphocytes.

“I am absolutely certain that large numbers of persons all around the world are suffering from fluoride toxicity, to one degree or other,’’ said Dr Susheela.

Dr Susheela is executive director, of the Fluorosis Research and Rural Development Foundation in India, Professor of Anatomy (Histocytochemistry) and Chief of the Fluoride and Fluorosis Research Laboratories, at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.

Her post-doctoral training was under Lord Walton (Neurologist) of U.K. and Dr. Ade Milhorut of the Muscle Institute, New York, USA, (no longer exists).

Professor Susheela has written six doctorate papers in more than 20 years of scientific research in the field of fluoride toxicity and fluorosis.

Other academic positions:

Visiting Professor at the Allan Hancock Fn. at the University of Southern California during 1974-76.

Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medical Sciences. She has held Faculty positions at the same Institute since 1969

Winner of the prestigious Ran Baxy Research Foundation Award for outstanding research in medical sciences.

Teacher of medical students of all levels and carrying out research and guiding research in the field of muscle diseases and Fluorosis for more than 20 years.

An Ashoka Fellow recognised by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India.

Dr Susheela is a Visiting Professor at the Allan Hancock Fn. at the University of Southern California during 1974-76.
She is a Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medical Sciences.
She has won the prestigious Ran Baxy Research Foundation Award (Cash Prize) for outstanding research in medical sciences.
She has been involved in teaching medical students of all levels and carrying out research and guiding research in the field of muscle diseases and Fluorosis for more than 20 years.
She is currently the executive director of Fluorosis Research and Rural Development Foundation Saransh.
She is also an Ashoka Fellow recognised by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India & Registered under Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act 1976 under Section 6 (1) Permanent Eligibility No. 2 3 1 6 6 0 0 1
Numerous funding organizations have been calling upon her during that time for evaluating projects for funding in the field of Biomedical Research.
She has been a member of several National Committees since early 1970s, where issues related to Fluoride are debated and discussed.
She has convened an International Conference on Fluoride and Fluorosis research in India in 1983. I edited a book on Fluoride Toxicity during 1985.
She has been invited to speak on my experience in the field of Fluoride Research at various scientific meetings held in: (1) Japan; (2) Denmark; (3) Switzerland; (4) Kenya; (5) U.S.A. (several times); and (6) Hungary.
She has guided 6 PhD theses in the subject of Fluoride and Health Hazards. A 7th Project is ongoing.
Professor (Dr) A K Susheela has more than 80 scientific publications in leading Western and Indian Journals.
Professor (Dr) A K Susheela Departs Australia February 9TH 2010